It can be said, and I am sure you’ll agree, that dogs running up to greet you after a long day of work is one of the greatest things to experience in life. The utter unconstrained joy and excitement at the fact that you exist is one of the many reasons we adore our four-legged companions so much. But will a dog forget about you after years of separation? Thankfully, they won’t, as seen in this story!
A blind and deaf puppy got to see her grandpa - her owner’s dad - after a year they’d spent apart and, despite the man fearing a lost connection, the pup went into excitement overdrive.
Grab the tissues for this one, dear Pandas, because the tear fountains are gonna be turned on after you read this story. Also, don’t forget to leave your thoughts below in the comments and share your own pet stories. All the upvotes and follows are incredibly appreciated, so thank you for your continued support and, without further ado, let’s dive into the story!
Bitsy, a very special dog, born without sight or hearing, hadn't seen her grandpa in over a year, due to COVID restrictions
Image credits: haydenkristal
A wholesome video was shared on TikTok of a man, named Steve, reuniting with his daughter’s dog, named Bitsy. The pup, owned by Hayden Kristal, is incredibly special as she was born without sight or hearing, yet that didn’t stop the woman from taking in the pup at 5 weeks old.
They were at first concerned as to how the dog would cope with life but she quickly showed that there was no need to worry. “She has been her own woman since day one,” Hayden told The Dodo. “The first thing she did when I brought her home was to make a beeline for the food dish, crawl into it and eat until she passed out.”
Steve worried that the pup would not recognize him anymore, however, those worries were soon gone as the pup excitedly greeted him
Image credits: haydenkristal
Now, five years later, she’s a beautiful energetic dog, just as she was as a baby, enjoying her days with a few siblings and her mum. When COVID restrictions went into effect last year, Bitsy and her mom had to separate from family in order for all of them to be safe. That meant a full year of the pup and dad not seeing each other.
The caption said that her dad was very worried that Bitsy wouldn’t recognize him after a year apart, however, that wasn’t the case, as the dog immediately recognized the embrace of her grandpa. She was jumping up and down, licking at the man’s face. A smile never left Steve’s face, the man as overjoyed to see the dog as she was to see him.
Jumping up and down and licking Steve's face, it was difficult to figure out who was happier in that instance: the man or dog
Image credits: haydenkristal
Running after her sibling afterwards, she had to let everyone know that the family was back together
Image credits: haydenkristal
“As soon as I got within scent range, she totally lost her mind with joy. So did I,” Steve wrote on Facebook. “Once again Bitsy proved that the abilities she has are far more impressive than the ones she’s missing. What a truly amazing and wonderful soul. Maybe you can tell from this video how much we love each other.”
Bitsy was adopted at 5 weeks old by Hayley, Steve's daughter, and the pair have been adventuring ever since
Image credits: haydenkristal
Hayley's dad loves his granddog more than he could’ve ever imagined, and the two hang out together whenever they have the chance. "He is her number one fan and her biggest champion,” Hayden said.
“He will tell anyone who will listen about what an amazing dog she is and how much he loves her. He does the typical grandpa things of spoiling her with treats and toys and she loves to just hang out near him."
Image credits: haydenkristal
It's daunting to take in a puppy like her, uncertainties playing in mind. However, Bitsy beat all odds and the energetic pup is just like any other
Image credits: haydenkristal
Image credits: haydenkristal
"She’s taught me so much about love, life, and swallowing whole rotisserie chickens," said Hayden
Image credits: haydenkristal
Bitsy’s traveled all over the country with her mom, going on hikes, canoeing, riding the subway and even skateboarding. “Bitsy is the sweetest, friendliest, most loving and loyal dog in the world,” Hayden said. “She is bold and sassy and she loves adventure!” She also seems to have a love of ribs and BBQ sauce.
Hayden seems to be incredibly grateful for Bitsy, stating that she had fundamentally changed her understanding of the world. She wrote in one Instagram post: “She’s taught me so much about love, life, and swallowing whole rotisserie chickens before an authority figure can wrench the bird shrapnel from your thieving hyena jaws.”
Image credits: haydenkristal
Image credits: haydenkristal
Deaf and blind dogs navigate the world primarily through scent and touch and there's many ways to provide them with a comfortable life
Image credits: haydenkristal
It’s incredibly sweet that the family can once again be reunited, yet you might be having the same questions as I: how do deaf and blind dogs navigate the world and how good is a dog’s memory overall? If you’re as curious as I, let’s dive a little deeper.
According to Pet Place, even when dogs can see and hear, the most significant way that they interact with the world is through smell. Thus, dogs with no hearing will rely on smell and touch to help them determine when someone is near, making them stick much closer to their human companions than before. They rely heavily on predictable routines for stability and comfort, so keeping things like beds, feeding bowls in the same location helps greatly.
Truthfully, act as if you would with a toddler that’s just beginning to explore the world: stay close to them, take away anything dangerous, and baby gate locations that they shouldn’t access. And, of course, love them unconditionally. If you’d like to delve deeper into this and learn some training techniques, I shall leave a link here for you to explore.
Image credits: haydenkristal
Also, pups remember things by association, as their short-term memory is poor. So unless you change the way you smell or speak, there's little chance of them forgetting you
Image credits: haydenkristal
Now the main question - how much can a dog remember? Was it just routines and loyalty that made Hachi wait at the train station for his owner all those years or was there something more? Well, according to Swifto, dogs have a very different system for storing, processing, and recalling memories compared to humans.
They don’t have a significant short-term memory, so they most likely don’t remember all the meals they’ve had, hence continuing to beg for more. They have something called an associative memory, which means they remember events based on associations, and not actual memories. So Bitsy was most likely able to remember the grandpa by the sound of his voice and his smell that linked back to the person in question.
If you’ve got a dog, then this information can be incredibly useful, especially when taking them to a vet or cutting their nails. If they start fussing about something, think of what your pet could be associating the negative memories with, such as the crate or the clippers, and change it up! Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but it takes effort to replace the negative with positive associations.
We wish Bitsy and her family all the sunshine and happy days! We can't wait to see what they do next
Image credits: haydenkristal
You don't have to worry about your dog forgetting you any time soon. And there's plenty of resources out there if you come across a special puppy as such, so away with the fear and into the puppy cuddles! Adopt responsibly, though - aka, make sure you'll be able to take care of your pets. I'll leave a checklist of considerations for new adopters here.
We wish Bitsy and her family all the best and we continue to follow their adventures and love for life.
You can watch the full video here. Enjoy!
Let us know what you thought of the story in the comments. Have you got a loving puppy with some stories to share? I can't wait to read them and I wish you all a fantastic day!
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